‘MASSIVE LEAP FORWARD’
Fears Iran could bring Saudi and UAE to their knees with more super high-tech drone attacks aimed at destroying oil supply
A DRONE attack on a Saudi pipeline represents a huge leap in the capabilities of the Yemeni rebels who launched it and threatens the whole of the Gulf, it has been reported.
The desert kingdom said drones armed with explosives flown by the Iranian backed rebels struck two oil pumping stations in what it called a "cowardly" act of terrorism.
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Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said the drone attack took place at Aramco stations 200 miles west of the capital Riyadh and caused a fire and minor damage at one station.
But , the attacks indicate the Houthi rebels have made a leap in their capabilities.
The drone flew around 500 miles into Saudi Arabia to successfully attack its target and the mission would have required two pilots, a back up team and satellite communications.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in 2015 to support the Yemeni government against Houthi rebels, in a war that has left around 10,000 people dead.
Retired Jordanian air force general Mamour al-Nowar told Al Jazeera the Houthis now have the ability "to reach Riyadh and Abu Dhabi”.
They have the potential to paralyse Abu Dhabi "if they hit desalination water pumping stations or the nuclear plant ".
Sami Hamdi, editor-in-chief of the International Interest journal, added: "Let us also not forget that they are backed logistically by the Iranians who continue to provide them with expertise on how to develop some of these weapons."
'COWARDLY ATTACK'
He said when the Houthis launched an attack on the UAE in July 2018 “their air defence system completely failed to handle such attacks".
The ELINT News security website tweeted that the drones were of the Iranian made Qasef-1 type.
"These attacks prove again that it is important for us to face terrorist entities, including the Houthi militias in Yemen that are backed by Iran," Mr al-Falih said in a statement issued by his ministry.
The Houthis have repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks on Saudi cities, but two Saudi sources said this was the first time an Aramco facility was hit by drones.
State-run Aramco said it had temporarily shut down the East-West pipeline, known as Petroline, to evaluate its condition.
The crucial 750 mile pipeline transports five million barrels of crude a day from the kingdom’s eastern fields to the sea.
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Houthi-run Masirah TV earlier said the group had launched drone attacks on "vital" Saudi installations in response to "continued aggression and blockade" on Yemen.
The attack comes just after the United States said Iran used explosives to sabotage Saudi oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
The US is planning to deploy 120,000 troops if Iran attacks American forces in the region and it has already begun a massive military build up to counter alleged, still-unspecified threats from Tehran.
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